Archive for
September, 2013

Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today the team has signed free agent guards Troy Daniels and Abdul Gaddy and center Patrick O’Bryant to its training camp roster.

A 7-0 center, O’Bryant was initially selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. He has appeared in 90 career NBA games over four seasons for the Warriors, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors, averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.8 minutes.

A 6-4 guard, Daniels went undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft. He appeared in five games for the Bobcats Summer League team in Las Vegas, averaging 5.4 points and 1.0 rebound in 14.3 minutes. As a senior at Virginia Commonwealth last season, he averaged 12.3 points and 3.1 rebounds, while setting a school single-season record for three-point field goals (124).

A 6-3 guard, Gaddy went undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft. He appeared in three games for the Bobcats Summer League team in Las Vegas, averaging 6.0 points and 2.7 assists in 14.0 minutes. As a senior at Washington last season, he averaged 10.9 points, 4.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds.

The Atlanta Hawks today announced their 2013 training camp roster, which tips off Monday with Media Day activities at 3 p.m. on the Philips Arena practice court. With the additions of Eric Dawson, Royal Ivey, James Johnson, David Lighty, Adonis Thomas and Damien Wilkins, the team currently has a 20-man camp roster.

Dawson played this past season with the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association after seeing action in four games with the San Antonio Spurs in 2011-12. He has also played with the Austin Toros (2007-12) of the NBA Development League. Dawson was a member of the Hawks’ 2013 summer league team, appearing in four games.

Ivey owns averages of 3.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 12.6 minutes (.407 FG%, .362 3FG%, .706 FT%) in 490 games (114 starting assignments) over his nine-year career with Atlanta, Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Oklahoma City. He was originally selected by the Hawks in the second round (37th overall) of the 2004 NBA Draft and spent his first three seasons (2004-07) with Atlanta.

A four-year NBA veteran after being a first round draft pick (16th overall) by Chicago in 2009, Johnson has averaged 6.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 blocks in 18.3 minutes (.443 FG%, .678 FT%) in 219 career games (87 starting assignments) with the Bulls, Toronto and Sacramento. Johnson also saw time with the NBA D-League’s Iowa Energy in 2011-12.

Lighty played with JSF Nanterre in France in 2012-13, helping the club to the French Pro A LNB championship, after spending his first professional campaign in Italy (2011-12) with Bennet Cantù and Vanoli Cremona. He averaged 14.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 31.9 minutes in 35 games (.494 FG%, .425 3FG%, .776 FT%) last year.

Thomas, a rookie, played collegiately at Memphis for two seasons, and in 2012-13, averaged 11.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 29.3 minutes (.405 FG%, .752 FT%). In 55 career games (44 starts) as a collegian, he tallied 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27.5 minutes (.426 FG%, .325 3FG%, .745 FT%). The forward most recently played in three games for the Hawks during the 2013 Las Vegas NBA Summer League.

Through nine NBA seasons with Seattle/Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Atlanta, Detroit and Philadelphia, Wilkins has averaged 6.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.3 minutes (.427 FG%, .330 3FG%, .783 FT%) in 563 career games (149 starting assignments). The son of former NBA player Gerald Wilkins and nephew of Hawks Hall-of-Famer Dominique Wilkins, he saw action in 52 contests off the bench for the Hawks in 2010-11, recording 3.5 points and 1.7 rebounds in 13.0 minutes (.504 FG%, .714 FT%).

Price, 26, spent the 2012-13 season with the Washington Wizards where he averaged career-highs with 7.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 57 games (22 starts). He was drafted by Indiana in the second round (52nd overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft and played three seasons with the Pacers. In 2011-12, Price appeared in 44 games, averaging 3.9 points and 2.0 assists. He played in 50 games in 2010-11, averaging 6.5 points and 2.2 assists. In his rookie season, Price averaged 7.3 points and 1.9 assists in 56 games.

Price played three years at the University of Connecticut, compiling career averages of 13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists. In 2007-08, Price started all 33 games at point guard and was UConn’s second leading scorer. He was named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s All-America Team, the First Team All-BIG EAST squad and also selected as USBWA District Player of the Year. In his final season with the Huskies, Price was the Huskies’ leading scorer with 14.7 ppg. In the 2009 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament he was named Most Outstanding Player in the West Region.

Price’s signing brings the Wolves training camp roster to 18 players. The Wolves will open training camp tomorrow at Bresnan Arena in the Taylor Center on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato.

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed free agent forwards DeShawn Sims, Damen Bell-Holter and guards Chris Babb and Kammron Taylor. The contracts are likely all non-guaranteed and merely bring the players to training camp.

Sims, a 6’8” forward, played in 35 games for Sagesse in Lebanon last season where he averaged 22.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 33.3 minutes per game. Sims was previously named the 2011 NBA Development League Rookie of the Year when he posted 20.3 points (fourth in NBADL) and 7.7 rebounds (11th) for the Maine Red Claws. Sims also has played professionally in South Korea with KCC Egis, PAOK BC in Greece and for Piratas de Quebradillas in Puerto Rico.

Bell-Holter, a 6’9” forward, appeared in 35 games for Oral Roberts as a senior during the 2012-13 season when he averaged 15.5 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. The native of Hydaburg, Alaska recorded 17 double-digit rebound performances during Southland Conference play as well as 13 double-doubles.

Babb, a 6’5” guard, appeared in 33 games for Iowa State as a senior during the 2012-13 season and averaged 9.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals and shot 38.2 percent from three-point territory. Babb was also named to the Big 12 All-Defense Team for his defensive efforts.

Taylor, a 6’2” guard, appeared in 19 games for Ludwigsburg in Germany last season where he averaged 13.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 28.6 minutes per game. Taylor has also played professionally in the Ukraine, Cyprus, France, Hungary, Turkey and Spain. Taylor appeared in 119 games for the University of Wisconsin from 2003-07 and left with career averages of 10.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 26.1 minutes per game.

New York Knicks President and General Manager Steve Mills announced today that the team has picked up the option on Head Coach Mike Woodson’s contract for the 2014-15 season.

Woodson, entering his second full season at the helm of the Knickerbockers after being named interim head coach on Mar. 14, 2012, led the franchise to a 54-28 (.659) mark last season and the franchise’s first Atlantic Division crown since 1993-94. He finished third in media balloting for the 2012-13 NBA Coach of the Year award and was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for April. His .679 (72-34) winning percentage is second-best in franchise history.

“I have long respected Mike and think he has done a remarkable job since becoming the head coach of the Knicks,” Mills said. “After spending time with him recently, it is clear that picking up his option is an easy decision.”

Woodson guided the Knicks to an 18-6 mark as interim head coach after beginning the 2011-12 season as an assistant coach under Mike D’Antoni. He served six seasons as head coach of the Atlanta Hawks (2004-05 through 2009-10), amassing a 206-286 (.419) record and improving the Hawks win total in each season.

Amundson has appeared in 327 career games (seven starts) for the Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Hornets. The 6”9”, 225-pound forward finished last season with the Hornets, averaging 2.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 18 games.

An undrafted forward out of UNLV, Amundson was named the 2006-07 NBA D-League Rookie of the Year after averaging 11.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.48 blocks in 25 games. In college, he averaged 7.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 120 career games (68 starts) for the Runnin’ Rebels.

Farrakhan has spent the last two seasons in the NBA D-League with the Bakersfield Jam, Idaho Stampede, Sioux Falls Sky Force and Iowa Energy. In 72 career games (20 starts), he has averaged 8.0 points, 2.5 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 18.3 minutes of action. Farrakhan started the 2012-13 season with the Milwaukee Bucks, appearing in three preseason games for the Bucks before being released prior to the start of the regular season. He was the 13th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Development League by the Jam.

The 6’4” 175-pound guard played collegiately at the University of Virginia for four seasons. He averaged 13.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 31 games his senior season.

Green was a member of the Clippers 2013 Summer League team in Las Vegas. In four games (all starts), he averaged 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds in 21.3 minutes of action. The Montgomery, Ala. native participated in training camp with the San Antonio Spurs prior to the 2012-13 season. The 6’8”, 240-pound forward spent all of last season with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, averaging 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 40 games (25 starts).

An undrafted forward out of Alabama, Green averaged 14.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks his final season for the Crimson Tide en route to being named All-SEC First Team.

The Denver Nuggets will open training camp with 18 players after signing forward Reginald Becton, guard Kyle Fogg and forward Damion James as non-roster invitees.

Becton, 6-9, 235, is an undrafted rookie out of the University of Mississippi. He set the school record with 326 blocked shots and is a three-time member of the SEC All-Defensive team. He also ranks second in career field-goal percentage and third in career rebounds at Ole Miss.

Fogg, 6-3, 183, averaged 6.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League last season. Undrafted out of Arizona in 2012, he was a two-time All-Conference Defensive Team selection and averaged 13.5 as a senior.

James, 6-7, 225, was selected 24th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft and has averaged 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 34 career NBA games with the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets. He spent much of 2012-13 in the D-League with Bakersfield, averaging 15.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in 44 games.

In four seasons at the University of Texas, James set Big 12 Conference records for career rebounds and double-doubles. He also owns the school records for career starts and rebounds.

The Nuggets, who won an NBA team-record 57 games last season, will open training camp under new coach Brian Shaw on Oct. 1. Their string of 10 consecutive playoff appearances is the second-longest active streak in the NBA.

The Austin Toros today announced the hire of NBA veteran Anthony Carter as an assistant coach for the team. Carter will join recently named Head Coach Ken McDonald.

“We are pleased to have Anthony on staff with the Toros,” said Coach McDonald. “He brings a great deal of energy and a wealth of experience to our group. He’s familiar with the Spurs culture and what we are trying to build in Austin.”

The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that the organization has named Brendan O’Connor as an assistant coach on the staff of Head Coach and Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations Doc Rivers.

It was also announced that Dave Severns and Howard Eisley will return as Assistant Player Skills Coaches and Bob Thate will return for his second season as shooting coach.

Additionally, the Clippers have named Dave Wohl as Director of Pro Scouting and Jack Nolan as an Advance Scout.

O’Connor comes to Los Angeles as an assistant coach after spending last season as an advance scout for the Brooklyn Nets. With more than 10 years of NBA coaching and scouting experience, O’Connor, a New Hampshire native, began his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons as an advance scout in 2000, and was promoted to assistant coach/advance scout in July 2001. He was a member of the Pistons’ coaching staff in 2004 and 2005 on Detroit’s NBA Championship team and Eastern Conference Championship squad, respectively. He has also worked as an assistant coach for the Kings and Knicks. Prior to joining the Pistons, O’Connor coached in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA), United States Basketball League (USBL), and International Basketball League (IBL). He was an assistant coach/director of player personnel with both the Grand Rapids Hoops (1997-99) of the CBA and Richmond Rhythm (1999-2000) of the IBL.

Severns returns to the Clippers for a fourth season. He served as an assistant coach for player development with the Chicago Bulls from 2008-2010 before coming to Los Angeles. Prior to his time with the Bulls, Severns spent 13 years in player development with Nike, working with college players at the All-American Camp, All-Asia Camp, Nike Skills Academies and Jordan Flight School. He also worked at Attack Athletics in Chicago under Tim Grover from 2005-08.

Eisley joined the Clippers prior to the 2010-11 season after a 12-year playing career in the NBA. He averaged 6.5 points, 3.5 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 786 games with Minnesota, San Antonio, Utah, Dallas, New York, Phoenix, Clippers and Denver. In 2005-06, he played in 13 games for the Clippers, averaging 0.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists.

Thate enters his second season with the Clippers as shooting coach. Previously, he spent the 2005-08 seasons with the New Jersey Nets in the same capacity. A 1970 NBA Draft selection of the Los Angeles Lakers, Thate began a four-year professional career in France (where he still holds the league’s season scoring record) before embarking on a college coaching career that included stops at Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, University of California-Irvine and Long Beach State.

Wohl begins his first season as Director of Pro Scouting for the Clippers. He brings more than four decades of NBA experience to Los Angeles, including most recently working as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2009-2011. Wohl was also the assistant general manager of the Boston Celtics for two seasons (2007-2009), including the team’s 2008 NBA Championship run, and has served in a variety of capacities with Orlando, Miami, Sacramento, the Lakers and a season with Clippers (1993-94). As an assistant coach under Pat Riley, Wohl was a member of the Lakers’ 1985 NBA Championship team. Wohl was the head coach of the New Jersey Nets for two-plus seasons (1985-88), leading the team to the NBA Playoffs in the 1985-86 season. He was selected in the third round of the 1971 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers and appeared in more than 400 games in seven NBA seasons as a player.

Nolan joins the Clippers as an advance scout after one season in the same position with the Boston Celtics. He started in the NBA in 1988 as a scout with the Atlanta Hawks and has worked with a number of teams in scouting and coaching capacities, including Vancouver, New York, Cleveland and Dallas.

General Manager John Hammond announced today that Chris Gilmartin has been promoted to director of NBA scouting and that Luke Steele has been hired as advance scout.

Gilmartin enters his 17th season with the Bucks. He started his career with the franchise as the assistant video coordinator, then spent the last 10 seasons as the team’s advance scout. He served one season on the Milwaukee’s bench as an assistant coach, joining the staff in conjunction with Jim Boylan taking over as the 12th head coach in franchise history in January 2013. Gilmartin’s first association with the Bucks was in 1985 as a member of the promotions crew. He also served as a team attendant from 1987-89.

Born in New York City, Gilmartin is a 1993 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served as a student assistant under head coaches Steve Yoder and Stu Jackson. Gilmartin returned to Milwaukee in 1995 after coaching in the college ranks and received his law degree (J.D.) from Marquette University in 1997. He worked part-time in the Bucks video department while attending law school. Gilmartin and his wife, Robyn, have three children.

Steele begins his first season with the Bucks as advance scout. He comes to Milwaukee from the Atlanta Hawks where he spent the last 12 seasons, most recently working as the senior video coordinator. Steele started his career with the Hawks as a basketball operations intern in 2001, right after graduating from the University of Florida. He also had experience as a media relations intern with the Orlando Magic while in college. Before transferring to Florida, Steele played two years of college basketball at Emory University. He and his wife, Andrea, have one child.

Cadougan (6-1, 205) wrapped up a four-year career at Marquette this spring by averaging a career-best 8.5 points along with 2.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game during his senior season. The Toronto native finished his collegiate career ranked sixth on Marquette’s all-time wins list with 97 and eighth in assists with 435. Cadougan also participated with the Bucks entry in the 2013 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he appeared in two games for Milwaukee and totaled two points and three assists in 12 minutes of action.

Czyz (6-7, 240) joins the Bucks after spending the 2012-13 season with Virtus Roma in the Italian League, where he averaged 5.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 50 games. A native of Poland, Czyz moved to the United States at the age of 14 and played collegiate basketball for both Duke (2008-09 through 2009-10) and the University of Nevada (2010-11 through 2011-12). A WAC All-Newcomer honoree following his junior season (first in Nevada), Czyz posted collegiate career averages of 10.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in 77 career games.

Despite going undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2005, Graham (6-6, 215) has appeared in 239 NBA games over six seasons with Houston, Chicago, Cleveland, Portland, Indiana, Charlotte and New Jersey. He holds career averages of 4.0 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest. The Florida native spent the 2012-13 season with the Arecibo Captains in Puerto Rico, where he posted 8.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14 games. Graham’s twin brother and college teammate Joey has also played in the NBA.

Milwaukee native McKinney Jones (6-5, 216) attended South Milwaukee High School before embarking on a four year collegiate career that included two years at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and his final two seasons as a Miami Hurricane. A 38.5 percent 3-point shooter during his two years in Miami, McKinney-Jones left the program ranked sixth in career 3-point percentage.

The Portland Trail Blazers have exercised their third-year options on Damian Lillard, Meyers Leonard and Thomas Robinson, General Manager Neil Olshey announced today.

Lillard, the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, averaged 19.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists in his rookie campaign with the Trail Blazers. Only the fourth unanimous Kia NBA Rookie of the Year in league history and fourth Trail Blazer to win the award, Lillard finished last season as one of three rookies in NBA history with 1,500 points and 500 assists.

Leonard, the team’s 11th overall pick in last year’s draft, posted averages of 5.5 points and 3.7 rebounds on 54.5 percent shooting from the floor and 80.9 percent from the charity stripe in his first season with the Trail Blazers.

Robinson, entering his second season in the league, joined the Trail Blazers in a trade with the Houston Rockets on July 10, 2013 in exchange for the NBA rights to Kostas Papanikolaou and Marko Todorovic along with two future second round picks. In his rookie season, Robinson averaged 4.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 15.1 minutes in 70 games with Sacramento (51 games) and Houston (19 games).

It will be interesting to see how first-time NBA coach Brad Stevens adapts to his new digs and how well he establishes a working relationship with players who won’t have to sit out a year if they transfer.

It will be beyond interesting to see how Rajon Rondo adjusts both physically and sociologically to playing without Pierce and Garnett.

How much of what we saw from rookie Kelly Olynyk in July was the product of summer-league competition? Is Jeff Green ready to exhibit his considerable talent on a more consistent basis? Who among the Brooklyn refugees is here for more than a cup of chowder?

The Celtics are wise to be patient as they seek to repackage their roster and multiple first-round draft picks into a worthy entity. But they are still on the clock as regards Rondo, who can be a free agent in two years. Before then, the Celts must show they are close enough to being good to make him want to stay, or, failing that, find the right trade for Rondo before he abdicates.

It’s not easy earning DeMarcus Cousins’ trust. By nature, he’s skeptical of new people and situations.

So over the summer, new Kings majority owner Vivek Ranadive and his front office and coaching staff began connecting with Cousins, their talented but sometimes ornery center who they expected to be the centerpiece of the team’s rebuilding project.

During that process, Cousins found Ranadive to be a man of his word, and Cousins convinced the Kings’ management team he was committed to the franchise and wanted to become a leader.

The sides liked each other enough to agree on a four-year contract extension worth $62 million that will be finalized in time for today’s 10 a.m. news conference.

“What I’ve learned about (Ranadive) so far is he has a strong passion, and when he puts his mind to something he wants to get it done,” Cousins said. “That alone makes me very confident with him being our leader. I’m excited about this group, I’m extremely confident with them, and I think we’re going to do a lot of things.”

The league’s Competition Committee has voted unanimously to recommend the change from the current 2-3-2 system and owners will vote on it next month at their meetings.

“The idea was raised at the Competition Committee and was well-received and the committee ultimately unanimously voted to recommend the change in format,” NBA spokesman Tim Frank said yesterday.

If approved, it hasn’t been decided if the change would begin with the 2014 Finals…

The format was switched beginning in 1985, a recommendation commissioner David Stern has said came in part from former Celtics boss Red Auerbach to reduce the cross-country trips between Boston and Los Angeles.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra signed a multiyear extension to his contract Sunday, the team announced.

Spoelstra was entering the last season of his contract after leading the Heat to three consecutive NBA Finals, including back-to-back titles. The Heat begins work for its three-peat bid Tuesday with the start of training camp. The first four days of camp are being held at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

With the Heat’s core of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all facing contract decisions after this season, solidifying Spoelstra’s future was a significant first step toward bringing stability to the equation.

James, Wade and Bosh can all opt out of their contracts after this season.

Managing owner Josh Harris reiterated Sunday that the 76ers are not moving to North Jersey.

“My answer to the fans is I love the Sixers in Philly. I’m committed to it,” Harris said during his state-of-the-Sixers news conference.

Harris’ keeping the franchise in Philadelphia isn’t a surprise to people who know the billionaire businessman. They will tell you the surprising thing is that he’s on board with the Sixers’ tanking this season.

“I want immediate results and immediate upside,” he said. “But I think that the reality of professional sports is that things don’t change overnight.”

The Phoenix Suns today announced they have signed guard/forward James Nunnally, bringing the club’s roster to 18 players.

Nunnally, 23, excelled for the Miami Heat during the 2013 Las Vegas Summer League, leading the team with 13.0 points per game while shooting 57.7 percent from the field and 63.0 percent beyond the three-point arc. His best performance came in Miami’s final contest against the Suns as Nunnally made 5-of-6 three-pointers and scored 21 of his 24 points in the second half to help erase a 20-point deficit in a game Phoenix held on to win 91-89.

Last season, the 6-7, 205-pound Nunnally played for the Suns’ D-League affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam, and averaged 10.3 points while connecting on 40.6 percent of his three-point attempts. He first gained NBA experience with the Sacramento Kings at the 2012 Las Vegas Summer League, following a standout four-year career at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Nunnally was named to an All-Big West team three times at UCSB and helped the Gauchos to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the first time in the program’s history. For his collegiate career, Nunnally averaged 13.7 points and 5.2 rebounds.